Two New Reviews Tonight!

So we've got two new shows debuting tonight that I'll be reviewing later but I wanted to give a little preview first. At 8EST, ABC's replacement show GCB debuts (it's not showing until 9 my time), and I have to admit I'm looking forward to watching it. The show, which is an acronym for Good Christian Belles, is based off the book Good Christian Bitches by Kim Gatlin, but due to its move to television and potential backlash from both womens' groups and Christians, the show's title ending was changed to "Belles" instead and later shortened into the acronym. However, the show makes it very clear that the book's original title fit; the previews have been a hoot. This seems to be ABC's attempt at starting off early with a female replacement for the exiting Desperate Housewives, so let's see how this train rolls into town.

from the "Hollywood Moms Night" episode

The second show is on the TVGuide Channel every Sunday at 9EST called Hollywood Girls Night, in which Ali Landry & Alison Sweeney will throw a cocktail party each week featuring various ladies in Hollywood. Something tells me that this show had to have at least partially come about because of the Ali & Ali potential from the two hostesses. lol Call me crazy, but Hollywood loves alliteration. I'm almost 63% positive that the names were a factor. lol Anyway, tonight's episode features Kyle Richards (Paris Hilton's aunt, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Tracey Gold & Sheryl Underwood. Future guests for this show include Kendra Wilkinson, Robin Givens, Denise Richards and Niecy Nash, to name a few. The premise for this reality show is hardly unique as there are many shows about women getting together for drinks and gossiping but unlike those, this one looks like the mean girls were left at home. The devil's advocate in me says to invite the ladies of Charmed and see how that goes. LOL I know, I know. Not nice. I'm sorry. I love Charmed though! I would pay good money to see it. Or a revival of the show. I don't care. lol I would like to see a show about women who aren't backstabbing each other or only pretending to get along because a camera is in their face. It annoys me and I refuse to give the majority of these women even more attention than they already get. Unlike the next show on this preview post, these women aren't acting. They're simply getting paid to be themselves for a paycheck they wrongly think they are entitled to receive just for being the way they are. Ugh.

Sorry, I got a little distracted there. lol

The cast of ABC's "GCB" in a promo shot

Anyway, GCB stars Leslie Bibb as a former 'Mean Girl' named Amanda Vaughn (I swear, why are so many mean girls named Amanda? smh) who returns to her hometown in Texas as a single mother looking for a fresh start after a divorce and financial troubles. As she moves back home with her mother Gigi (played by Annie Potts), she encounters one of her former targets (played by Kristin Chenoweth, which I think was an awesome casting decision), who has since become the town's Queen Bee, which makes for a definite reversal of riches. The twist? The crowd that the former Mean Girl will be returning to is a large Christian community, so the snark is cleverly disguised behind fake smiles and Bible verses. Now you know there probably won't be any outright cursing or vulgarity, but that's the interesting part, seeing the various ways these women hide their hatred of the newcomer, who at one time teased or targeted all of them, behind their religion and Southern manners.

Now before anyone like the wonderful commenter from last week tries to rip me a new one from what I just said, my spirituality is a very large part of my life. None of what I am saying or going to say is directed at God in any way, not my relationship with Him, none of that. It isn't even about all Christian-based communities or Christians as a whole. This is simply about some of the people in some of those types of environments. I used to be part of one of these communities, with women who said they held God at the forefront of their lives but disguised their snarkiness underneath the Bible verses they assumed fit my life and smart remarks when my back was turned. These same women, these supposed figures of virtue and inspiration to other women who were either just like them or had such aspirations, were usually the ones caught out at the club on the weekends or cheating on their husbands behind closed doors, at very least simply not practicing what they preached. It would be comedic if it wasn't so ridiculous to watch some of these women work, but it was almost too refreshing after awhile of having to be in that type of atmosphere to finally find a group of women with the same values who treated everyone properly and with respect, to be able to just get together, share our love of God and make our lives something better as a result of our friendships and relationships with God. Shows like GCB simply expose this type of environment to everyone else but they have a bigger basis in reality than some like to say, and from experience myself, I want to see how true to form the show chooses to portray this lifestyle.

GCB comes on every Sunday on ABC at 10EST; Hollywood Girls' Night is on the TVGuide Channel at 9EST. Check your subscriber for your local channel listings.

Join me in a couple of hours when I review and let me know what you thought of the shows! I've got homework to do, so I gotta run. Be back in a few!